1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a haptic input apparatus with an operating feeling imparting function, and more particularly to operating feeling imparting means for a lever handle type haptic input apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a haptic input apparatus which remote-controls an automotive steering system and a gear shift unit, and electric equipment such as an air conditioner, a radio, a television, a CD player and a car navigation system which are mounted onto the automobile by operating a knob arranged in the driver's cab. Also, as this sort of haptic input apparatus, in order to be able to reliably operate the knob in operating a desired device or electric equipment, there has also been conventionally proposed an apparatus which imparts a peculiar operating feeling to the knob in accordance with a direction of operating the knob or the operating position.
As the knob, there have conventionally been used, in addition to a rotary knob for rotationally operating a rotation shaft, a lever handle for exclusive use in rocking for only rocking a rocking shaft, a rocking lever handle with a rotation function for rotationally operating the rocking shaft as well as rocking it, and the like. In the present specification, the lever handle for exclusive use in rocking and the rocking lever handle with a rotation function are collectively called “lever handle”.
As the haptic input apparatus with an operating feeling imparting function equipped with a lever handle, there is proposed a haptic input apparatus, including: as exemplified in FIG. 5A, a rotation shaft 102 rotatively supported by a supporting member 101; a lever handle 103 fixed to the rotation shaft 102; a rotary motor (actuator) 104 whose main spindle is directly coupled to the rotation shaft 102; and an encoder (detection means) 105 whose main spindle is directly coupled to the main spindle of the rotary motor 104, wherein a rocking motion of the lever handle 103 is converted into a rotary motion of the rotation shaft 102 to detect an amount of rocking and a rocking direction of the lever handle 103 by means of the encoder 105, a driving signal corresponding to the amount of rocking and the rocking direction thus detected drives the rotary motor 104 to impart a desired operating feeling to the lever handle 103. In this respect, in FIG. 5A, the description has been made of a structure in which the lever handle 103 is made rockable only in one direction as an example, but as regards a type in which the lever handle 103 is made rockable in any direction, two sets of supporting members 101 and a rotation shaft 102 are required.
Also, as exemplified in FIG. 5B, there has been proposed a haptic input apparatus, including: a lever handle 103 rockably supported by a supporting member 101; a solenoid (actuator) 106; a variable resistor (detection means) 107; a link 108 whose both ends are pin-connected to main spindles of the lever handle 103 and the solenoid 106 respectively; and a coupling member 109 for coupling the lever handle 103 with the operating unit of the variable resistor 107, wherein a rocking motion of the lever handle 103 is converted into a linear motion of the coupling member 109 to detect an amount of rocking and a rocking direction of the lever handle 103 by means of the variable resistor 107, a driving signal corresponding to the amount of rocking and the rocking direction thus detected drives the solenoid 106 to impart a desired operating feeling to the lever handle 103. In this respect, in FIG. 5B, the description has been made of a structure in which the lever handle 103 is made rockable only in one direction as an example, but as regards a type in which the lever handle 103 is made rockable in any direction, two sets of variable resistors 107 and the coupling members 109 are required.
As described above, since the conventional haptic input apparatus with an operating feeling imparting function equipped with a lever handle requires, as indispensable components, the rotation shaft 102 for converting the rocking motion of the lever handle 103 into the rotary motion and the link 108 and the coupling member 109 for converting the rocking motion of the lever handle 103 into the linear motion, there is a disadvantage that the structure becomes more complicated than the haptic input apparatus with an operating feeling imparting function equipped with a rotary knob, and the haptic input apparatus becomes large in size and the cost is increased.